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Cycles of Rice Cultivation

Traditions in the practice of rice farming vary subtly from one village to another, but the basic cycles of planting, cultivation and harvest, along with their constant element of prayer and offering, are very similar. At the very first hoeing of the fields, ngendang, or the "opening up", which takes place approximately 25 days prior to planting, a small offering is borne to the field to ensure the blessing of the deities and ward off evil spirits. Then the fields are hoed and subsequently flooded and the plough, or tenggala, pulled by one or two cows, completes the preparation for the planting of the first delicate seed- lings.

The seed bed, or pemulihan, takes first priority. A few square meters in the corner of the field are enclosed, and the germinated seeds that have soaked two days in advance are planted by hand into the flooded soil, or in the case of Padi Bali, entire seed heads, complete with their stalks, are laid side by side on the moist soil.
After 20 to 25 days in the nursery the seedlings are ready for transplantation. Fertilization is carried out in the preceding days, then on a favorable day according to the calendar the men gather together to begin the nyajaan, or transplantation of seedlings, carefully uprooting them from their bed and tying them in bunches on round trays made from split bamboo. The first ceremonial planting is known as ngewiwit. Prayer and offerings are made in one corner of the field, then nine seedlings are planted, one in each of the cardinal directions, one in the center and one on the intermediary directions, completing a pattern known as the nawa sanga, the symbol of cosmic orientations prevalent in many ceremonies. The barefoot men then step into the soft mud, forming a row. Two to five seedlings are thrust into finger-holes in the mud, spaced one hand-width apart in neatly aligned rows, as the team of men advance through the mud, their trays of seedlings sliding back and forth in between.

Ceremonial requirements during the first 35 days sasih or lunar month of growth, vary from village to village. The major prerequisite is an offering made on the 35th day of nasi warna, cooked rice colored symbolically in the four Hindu colors of red, yellow, white and black. Further area fertilizations are recommended at 35 to 40 days and 55 to 6O days. Another small ceremony takes place at 70 days, known as sayut nagasari, a small offering of cooked rice, flowers, rice wine and holy water.
As the grains begin to form on the heads and the ears swell, the rice is said to be "beling" or pregnant, a condition which requires special loving care and attention. The fields are transformed into joyous scenes festooned with long strings of banners made from discarded clothing, plastic, cans and whizzing bamboo propellers. Scarecrows appear and little thatched huts are erected at strategic places. The men, women and children all take turns in guarding the precious crop, rattling their bird-scarers and shouting themselves hoarse to protect their harvest from the winged marauders. As the ripening padi colors golden, irrigation stops and harvest rituals begin.

Harvest is a communal affair. Padi Bali must be cut stalk by stalk and tied in bundles to be carried home. The new hybrid varieties are scythed just above ground level with a sickle, then directly thrashed in the field by the women who bang the bundles of rice on a board till the grains fall off on a spread canvas, ready to be scooped into sacks. These will later be taken to the nearest mill where the padi is sold outright or de-husked for a small fee.

Polished white rice is preferred by all Balinese, even though the husk and embryo contain valuable vitamin B1 and protein. Traditionally the Padi Bali is threshed on mats spread on the hardened earth by pounding it with long wooden poles that have weighted ends. Two or three women will stand around the pile of rice stalks, their poles rhythmically pounding, moving alternately from one hand to the other with a grace that belies the effort and concentration involved. De-husking is sometimes accomplished by pounding it in a large wooden trough or lesung. The motions create a rhythmic cadence of sound as the padi is transformed into beras, a coarser grain, flecked with pieces of husk, which has more nutrients than the milled grain. The flaky pieces of husk are winnowed out of the pounded rice on a large bamboo tray. As it is tossed in the air and shaken in a circular motion the chaff is carried off in the breeze.

Just after harvest, or in some villages, just before, a large rice ceremony is held in the subak temple, known as Ngusaba Nini, to give thanks to Dewi Sri. The temple is beautifully decorated and filled with offerings of exquisite palm-leaf weavings, brightly colored rice cakes, cooked rice of several colors, fruits, fragrant flowers, roasted ducks, chickens and suckling pigs, even rice wine. These are dedicated to pleasing the deities, giving them an enjoyable visit, just in the same way that honored guests would be entertained. After the essence, or Sari, of the food has been offered in prayer, the food itself is shared amongst everyone.

This food of life, much blessed on its journey from the fields to the kitchen, is simply prepared each day by steaming or boiling. Sometimes it is cooked in little woven palm-leaf containers called Ketipat, which form a solid glutinous lump of pressed rice that can be easily carried to the field or temple and cut into edible sections.
Every day, after the morning rice is cooked, a tray of little banana leaf squares are prepared, each with a pinch of the cooked rice, or nasi, and casually placed on the ground around the family compound to keep the evil spirits at bay. Like people, they can become angry and mischievous if they are hungry or neglected. The rice cakes for offerings to the higher deities are of infinite variety in size, shape and color. These delicious jaja, sold in great quantities in the morning markets, decorate the towering offerings that the women bring to the temple at festival time.

This perpetual giving thanks for the beneficence of the Gods in providing joy, sustenance and protection from evil is the very basis of the Balinese way of life, which is an everyday celebration of religion. The majority of the population are rice farmers, and all depend on rice as a staple diet. The cycles of rice farming, regular phases of busy communal activity interspersed with periods of leisure time, have contributed to a lifestyle with ample room for intense creativity.
Bali is a tropical island of plenty. The rich volcanic soil of the island is watered by an endless supply of rivers and streams that originate from bottomless crater lakes which miraculously filter out into a myriad of streams and springs and are diverted by centuries old expertise into a maze of irrigation channels that feed the entire island. Nature provides abundantly. Bananas, coconuts, mangoes and paw-paw grow wild, not to mention an entire range of medicinal plants and roots which offer herbal remedies to every ailment known to man. Ducks feed in the rice- fields, cleaning them of insects and pests. The sway-backed pigs clean up the rubbish and the waste in the back yards of the family compounds. The grass around the padi fields and beside the roads is kept neatly trimmed by the young boys who scythe it each day and carry it home in baskets for the cows. Entire holy days are devoted to the birthdays of trees and animals, and an ecological chain of mutual support exists on all levels.

On the mountainous slopes grow cloves and coffee, and vanilla vines fill every patch of uncultivated land. Indeed, it seems that this island is the Gods' favored earthly abode, and such is the Balinese premise of the universe. The home of the Gods and where all the positive spiritual power that watches over Bali is the great Mt. Agung, which lords over the entire island, a towering reminder that we are only human, extremely vulnerable to the powers of the supernatural and subterranean.

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